when cupcakes rule the world…

This weekend Elyse and her boyfriend came up from D.C. and stayed with us. I hadn’t seen her in over a year, so it was really nice! She even brought me cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake! (sidebar: the show that features the cupcake shop is incredibly stupid and I would never trust those women with any business because they make themselves out to be giant airheads (even if they are not)). But! the cupcakes were pretty damn delicious. The chocolate peanut butter (top right) was my favorite.

I went and picked up a growler of East End Brewing’s blueberry rye beer (not sure how they spell it and I can’t find it) to share with Elyse since I know she loves blueberries. Well, it didn’t really taste like blueberries to any of us and smelled like toast to me, but it was still decent. We went to the La Casa Narcisi for dinner and split a margherita pizza (my true love), some gnocchi and lobster mac and cheese. Everyone loved the lobster mac but I thought it needed more salt. And more cheese. Oddly enough, the amount of lobster was pretty adequate.

By the time we got back, we were all wine-sleepy so we went to bed. Saturday Elyse and her boyfriend were gone before I even woke up to go do some sightseeing (actually more like destination eating, haha). By the time they made it back, we watched a little of the baseball game and then headed down to Mad Mex. Got the XX Cheese dip for the first time ever and holy cow I am in love. The pineapple habenero salsa, however, was super weird. It was the consistency of applesauce and it was just really off-putting.

We headed down to South Side for the main event and all I can say is: ugh. I hadn’t been in SS in over two years and it got so.much.worse. Keith drove around for 20 minutes trying to find parking before he dropped us off, drove around for another 20 before paying to park in Giant Eagle’s lot. The two bars we managed to hit were so disgustingly packed. My friend Sarah was down there too and we kept trying to meet up but kept playing bar tag haha. Finally everyone was just over it (and totally sober), so we left.

Sunday we went to the Pirates game and sadly saw them lose. But, thanks to Elyse, we met up with our old manager from Victoria’s Secret and got to chat with her for a minute and it made me very nostalgic for 2007-2009. I wish I hadn’t been such an emotional wreck those few years, because we really had some fun times.

All in all, it was really nice to see Elyse and catch up. I wish she still lived here though. I am really bad at friendships and seeing one of the real friends I actually have only 2x a year sucks, but I guess that’s what happens when you get old!

It’s become clear over the two years since I’ve started this blog that I’m not a good blogger. Back in the days of livejournal, I was an EXCELLENT blogger. I would post 2-3 times a day. Which maybe makes me a horrible blogger, but whatever.

I’m not going to pretend I’m going to try harder, because I’m not, so I’ll just pop in from time to time when I feel like it.

Life is good. Keith is good. Daisy is the most spoiled dog on the planet, so she is obviously good.

I’m enjoying the break from school (one A, one B) and so far have not had any pangs of wanting to go back. (As a kid I was always completely over summer after a month, but I think I might cry when I have to go back now.)

I was bored last week and decided I wanted to read something more substantial than ask.metafilter.com and had remembered someone on twitter mentioning The Hunger Games books. I had no clue what they were about, but I started to read the first one and when I choked up about 10 pages in, I knew I was hooked. I read all three books in just as many days and then felt the usual post-good-book depression.

So I grabbed Bossypants and read that. I never really has an opinion one way or another on Tina Fey until someone online quoted an excerpt from her book about being a working mother. It was funny and clever and slightly dark and it was then that I knew I liked her. Her book was a fluff book, I think I read it in one evening, but it was very entertaining.

And then I had no idea what else to read so I browsed the NYT best-seller list and ended up finishing Water for Elephants last night. I never knew I’d be so into a story about the circus, but it was pretty good! And I dreamt of elephants last night. Always a plus.

So now I’m looking for more books to read. I like almost any fiction minus courtroom dramas. I really like trilogies or series (so I can postpone the post-good-book depression). So any recommendations, throw ’em my way. It’s rare that I can’t get into a book. (Except Infinite Jest and I tried. Really, I did.)

If I get no recs, I’m just going to work my way through Rory Gilmore’s book list. And that’s okay with me.

Now I think every year I make a secret resolution to blog more and every year I fail. I’m not going to be a daily blogger, ever, but I really wish I could get back into the swing of things.

I can read near daily livejournal entries from 1998-2005 and marvel at what a stupid kid I was, I wish I had kept better track of the past 5 years, but I guess I can just try to start now.

2010 was a pretty amazing year. I really loved 2009, but as the first four months were pretty awful, 2010 might win for overall happiness.

The first weekend of the year was spent with Keith (unfortunately) sick, but we had borrowed his mom’s dog/his old dog for the weekend, so I at least had Jackson to keep me company while Keith was in bed. We ordered some pizza for my birthday, since I refused to cook, and Keith, under a cloud of cold medicine, gave the delivery guy the money (which I had counted out to include tip) and asked for a 10 back, which the guy gave him. So instead of giving the guy a tip, we ended up short changing him, and oh man was it hilarious. (I was outside with the dog at the time). We never ordered from that pizza place again because I was afraid they had blacklisted us.

Jackson!

I also turned 24 which made me eligible for the good financial aid, and I started to get serious about going back to school. I had to get some loan things straightened out and figure out where I would be going and it was an incredibly stressful few months.

February brought us the gigantic snowstorm that no one from Pittsburgh has been able to forget yet. We also went to NYC again for more basketball and more late night gyro platters! yum!

msg for some basketball game i probably didn't pay attention to.

central park!

best food in nyc for reaaaaaal.

March brought the realization (thanks to Keith) that I could probably just go back to Pitt. I had been afraid they wouldn’t take me back, but a phone call and a 45$ payment later and I was reinstated! I honestly squealed when I got the letter, I was so excited!

In April, we went to DC to see Elyse and the Cherry Blossom Festival! It was so gorgeous, I am really glad we got to see it.

cherry blossom festival!

cherry blossom festival!

cherry blossom festival!

my favorite tree that ever existed.

Taken by the lovely Elyse.

We also wandered around and went into a few museums. Here’s Keith learning about birth control, hahaha.

hmmm.

Elyse took this picture at the WWII memorial which I think is pretty much the funniest thing in the world.

Probably reading twitter.

Our last day in DC, Keith didn’t feel well, so he stayed at Elyse’s and she and I ventured to one of my favorite places in the world, the National Arboretum.

Capitol Columns

Capitol Columns

Magnolias with the Capital Columns in the background

I love DC in the springtime, can’t wait to go back!

We also went to NYC again in April, this time to go to Keith Malley’s annual stand-up show. We got up there on a Thursday, and Keith surprised me with a private performance by Ben Lerman. It was the most thoughtful, adorable surprise ever. I wrote about it here, in case you want to remember how adorable Keith is.

Keith and I with Ben Lerman and Jessica Delfino

We were also introduced to The High Line thanks to Ben and it is another one of my favorite places, if you go to NYC, you must check it out.

The High Line

The High Line

Keith (Malley)’s stand-up show that night was hilarious and the next day we went to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Battery Park cherry blossoms

Lady Liberty from the ferry

Lady Liberty

Ellis Island

Statue of Liberty from Ellis Island

That night, we went to (part of) a Yankee game, and then walked dozens of blocks in the POURING rain to attend more KATG festivities, including The Match Game (hosted by Ben) and KATG bingo, which I suck at. We sadly had to leave early because we had to drive home at 6 a.m. the next day, I really wish we could have stayed longer because it was one of the best nights.

Yankee Stadium

Match Game!

Keith and Keith

We left at 6 a.m. to head home for Keith’s grandma’s surprise 80th birthday party! It was a weekend chock-full of excitement.

The next week, Keith and I celebrated one year together!

In May, I did a huge thing and bought a car. I still didn’t have my license at this point, but I found what looked like a decent car for cheap and sprung on it.

My pre-dented car

June brought my second and worst gall-bladder attack. I threw up for about 7 hours before I ended up in the E.R. I also finally got Keith to go in a photo booth at me (at a Pirate game, where else).

hello, morphine.

Photo booth!

July was probably the most exciting month, I made adorable cupcakes for the fourth of July, I got my license!, I got my gall bladder removed and we got Daisy!

Burger Cupcakes!

Daisy!

Keith, Jackson and Daisy

Daisy!

In August we moved into a bigger, newer, brighter apartment! We took Daisy to Sandcastle and I started back at Pitt.

Aww.

She wasn't really a fan of swimming, hahaha.

Happy dog!

In September, we took the dogs to a Pirate game and Keith turned 25. He had a nearly week long Sports extravaganza, but luckily the only one I attended was the dog pirate game.

Pup in the Park!

In October, Keith and the Girl came to Pittsburgh for a live show that was really awesome, though entirely too short! And I turned Daisy into a banana.

Chemda, me, Keith and Keith

Banana Dog!

In November, we went back to NYC for more basketball, but also got to see Pee Wee on Broadway and a Harry Potter musical spoof by the Upright Citizen’s Brigade with Ben Lerman, oh and I made more adorable cupcakes for Thanksgiving.

NYC!

Keith and Pee Wee!

Cookies and Cream cupcakes!

December brought a lovely Christmas, a gorgeous ring from Keith, final grades in my classes (A and B+!), more cute cupcakes, a mohawk! (for Keith) and an adorable NYE dinner at Notion in Oakmont.

So, ’tis November. Which means NaBloPoMo. Last year was the first time I succeeded, and I would love to try again, but who knows.

That said, I didn’t want to throw in the towel the very first day, so here’s a picture of me and Keith with Keith and Chemda from Keith and the Girl. They had a live show here last weekend and it was a blast. So excited for April when we’ll go to New York for Keith(the other one)’s birthday extravaganza.

So if you follow me on twitter (which if you don’t uhhh why not?! I am way more consistent with tweets!), you’d know that I started re-watching Dead Like Me. I watched it a few years ago after hearing all about it on ask.metafilter.com and immediately fell in love. It is quick and witty and the lead is a lovely female with a sarcasm streak that I could only dream to live up to.

The other characters are pretty awesome too and everyone is a bit dysfunctional. The basic premise is that they are a bunch of grim reapers. Unlike the stereotypical man in a black robe with a..uh…sickle? They look and act like (sort-of) regular people who just happen to be un-dead. There are different divisions that handle different kinds of deaths and I believe George is in the “violent deaths” division. So every morning, the group meets at Der Waffle Haus, where Rube (the head reaper of the group – love him) gives everyone a post-it with that day’s reap. The post-it has the person’s first initial and last name (have to make it a little tricky!), the place and the ETD (estimated time of death).

Now call me weird but this? I like. I find it oddly comforting that everyone gets a post-it. (And not just because I love office supplies). Everyone gets a little post-it that says their number is up. Sure there are freak accidents, but not really, the universe just aligned to make it so. (Or the gravelings, whatever). It just kind of makes the whole thing easier to take. I guess it’s in line with people saying “Everything happens for a reason.” (As an aside, I HATE that saying. I counter it with “No. Sometimes things just happen to fuck your day up.”) But a lot cooler.

Meh. Really have no idea where I was going with this post, but if you haven’t seen Dead Like Me and you like quirky, sarcastic, sometimes vulgar comedies, you should check it out. It lasted only a short two seasons, but it is fantastic.